Cincinnati Bengals (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. New York Jets (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)
Week 1 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, September 11, 2016 at 1PM EST
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: CBS
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Point Spread: CIN -1.5/NYJ +1.5
Over/Under Total: 41.5
The Cincinnati Bengals come to East Rutherford on opening Sunday of the NFL season to take on the New York Jets. The Bengals are looking to make a move this season, but we've been saying that for years. Their postseason ineptitude has now become legendary. But they did look like an interesting contender before losing Andy Dalton for the year with an injury and maybe they can follow through with some better results this season. The Jets, meanwhile, saw an upsurge under first-year coach Todd Bowles last season, finishing 10-6, though missing out on the postseason with a bad regular season finish. They look to take another step forward in 2016.
One had to be impressed how Todd Bowles took over a Jets' squad that stumbled upon a few rough seasons and immediately righted the ship to a large extent, And he did it with a discarded quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick. They were in the top ten on both sides of the ball. They look for more consistency this season after a up-and-down 2015. The offense saw a major upswing with Fitzpatrick near 4000 yards with 31 touchdowns. Brandon Marshall was over 1500 yards receiving, with Eric Decker going over 1000. And now they add Matt Forte, who is an established top back who can catch balls out of the backfield like few others. Young Devin Smith could bounce back from an injury and make an impact at some point, though he will not be available for this game.
The Jets' could use a little better play up-front and there are some questions there with Nick Mangold returning to center after a neck injury. Right tackle Breno Giacomini (questionable) and guard Brian Winters need to improve their form. But maybe former top Broncos tackle Ryan Clady can stay healthy and regain his mojo, which could give this front some teeth and allow Forte and the run-game to flourish. If Fitzpatrick can hit the ground running after a holdout, he has two 1000-yard receivers, a good back, and a lot of pieces to keep this Jets' offense moving forward.
The Jets' defense improved and found its legs again under Bowles, with "D" being his key expertise. They gave up 19.6 yards a game last season with the second-ranked rushing defense in the NFL. A lot of that is due to a mean line that features game-changing Muhammad Wilkerson and his 12 sacks at the end, with Sheldon Richardson (suspended) and free agent signing Steve McLendon as the run-stuffers. 2015 first-rounder Leonard Williams also showed good potential and could play a bigger role moving forward.
The Jets lose linebacker Demario Davis, but leading tackler David Harris anchors the middle with vet Erin Henderson, Jordan Jenkins, and Lorenzo Mauldin. First-round pick Darron Lee may also play a role. The secondary is in pretty good shape with Darrelle Revis and Buster Skrine at corner and Calvin Pryor and Marcus Gilchrist at safety. Some pieces were lost and some were gained. Some youth has panned out and some hasn't. But this group is headed in the right direction and worked well toward becoming the impactful group Bowles envisioned when coming over to the Jets.
Cincinnati has been bounced out of the first round of the playoffs five straight seasons and seven times overall under head coach Marvin Lewis. Last season, they had a good excuse with Dalton going down late in the season. It was unfortunate, as it looked like Cincy was turning the corner. Dalton looked like he had upped his game. He was connecting well with star receiver AJ Green and the rest of his aerial crew. They have lost Marvin Jones and Mohammed Sanu and injuries have again derailed one of the league's top tight end talents in Tyler Eifert. Brandon LaFell looks to come in and make an impact, while rookie second-rounder Tyler Boyd is a talent that could manifest.
The Cincinnati offense has received a big boost from the development of a two-headed monster at running back, with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard both over 700 yards last season. Bernard is also a useful weapon through the air with 49 catches in 2015. Up-front, a good offensive line remains relatively intact, anchored by good left tackle Andrew Whitworth. On offense, losing a couple role receivers and coordinator Hue Jackson taking the Cleveland head coaching gig are the only things that could cause a step back.
Postseason failings aside, five playoff berths in a row is nothing to sneeze at and Cincinnati can attribute a lot of that to the defensive side of the ball. Last season, they gave up 17.4 points per game, which was good for second in the NFL. A big part of that was the line getting back to full-power, as Geno Atkins returned to form, with Carlos Dunlap causing menace on one end, The two combined for 24.5 sacks. The middle was banged up throughout the season and impact-player Vontaze Burfict will begin the season suspended. They added still-useful Karlos Dansby and should be okay. The secondary loses a few key pieces in Leon Hall and Reggie Nelson. They're hoping first-round rookie William Jackson will pay off and he can join Adam Jones (questionable) at corner, but he is out with a torn pectoral. Along with corners Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Denard, there is some depth. Safety George Iloka returns, while a battle ensues for Nelson's old spot. Filling out the secondary will ultimately determine how good this Bengals defense is this season.
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The Bengals got off to an 8-0 start last season and only failed to cover the spread three times the entire year and only once against a non-divisional team. Still, this is a tough road game against a Jets' team that can really get after it—especially on defense. You wonder which Jets' defense will show up. Will it be the early-season one from last season that was getting turnovers left and right or the so-so midseason group? I'd look for a shot-from-a-cannon New York defense in the home opener. Cincinnati will hit its stride sooner than later, but this might be a tough entrance exam. I'm taking the home dog.
Loot's Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the New York Jets plus 1.5 points. Did you know... that you could be wagering on the Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets game at discounted odds? There's a better than good chance that you're laying -110 odds (or more) with your book. Stop overpaying TODAY by making the switch to 5Dimes Sportsbook! You will be so glad that you did!
